Cycling experience in the Italian and Swiss Lakes
This 7-day cycling experience showcases the region around the Italian and Swiss Lakes, offering undulating roads and climbs for intermediate and advansed cyclists, who love climbing.
The tour usually starts and ends on Saturday in Varese.
Varese is 25 km in a crow flies from Milan Malpensa Airport and can be reached in a 43-minute train ride every hour (no change).
How to Get Here
You will be staying a few days in Varese and a few days in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore. 7 nights and 6 days of cycling.
On day 3 you will move from Varese to Colmegna by bike and on day 7 you will move from Colmegna to Varese by bike.
We are locals and we have arranged a road bike tour to anyone looking to experience Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Lake Como and Varese through the road less travelled, rolling hills wooded valleys, narrow climbs, fast descends.
This is a flexible area offering you the opportunity to ride through back roads, to extend or shorten your cycling experience depending on your fitness level.
Thanks to the vastness and diversity of the Lake District between Italy and Switzerland, you will easily ride along the banks of the lakes, or you will toil to climb the valleys of our region.
There are loops you can ride, allowing you to go back to hotel in the afternoon for the post ride lunch.
Cycling experience based in Varese and on Lake Maggiore
Nestled in Lombardy, close to Piedmont and Switzerland, at the foothills of the Italian and Swiss Pre-Alps, our two hotels in Varese and in Colmegna on the shores of Lake Maggiore provide the perfect launchpad from which to explore the best lakeside riding and and the mountainous roads in between.
We are the hotels owners, the guides and the operators of our bike tours as well.
The cycling experience and the hotels experience are tied together.
Non-riding partners are welcomed along to share the experience with you.
Tourist attractions during the cycling esperience
You can ride without forgetting to enjoy what the Lake District between Italy and Switzerland has to offer: ancient villas, parks, churches and hermitages which were built from Sixteenth Century to the Nineteenth Century, exibitions, history, art, culture. In particular we suggest to visit Villa Panza at Varese, Villa della Porta Bozzolo at Casalzuigno, Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso on Lake Maggiore and Sacro Monte of Varese (historic site on the UNESCO Worldwide Heritage List).
Learn more about the best tourist attractions around.
2024 Weeklong road bike tour prices per person in Euro
Start location:
Varese
End location:
Varese
Duration:
7 days, 7 nights, 6 days of cycling
Maximum Limit:
8 guests
Level of difficulty:
intermediate and advanced
Terrain:
rarely flat, mostly undulating and hilly
challenge route 94 km
challenge route 1,600 m
2024 scheduled dates
Weeklong Tour Italian Swiss Lakes
April 13th – 20th 2024
April 27th – May 4th 2024
May 11th – 18th 2024
May 25th – June 1st 2024
June 8th – 15th 2024
June 22nd – 29th 2024
August 17th – 24th 2024
August 31st – Sep 7th 2024
September 7st – 14th 2024
September 14th – 21st 2024
September 28th – Oct 5th 2024
October 12th – 19th 2024
Other dates are possible and we can create a departure for you.
Please contact us, so we will see how we can help you.
The Weeklong Tour usually starts and ends on Saturday in Varese and it's based on two hotels. You will be staying a few days in Varese and a few days in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore. 7 nights and 6 days of cycling.
On day 3 you will move from Varese to Colmegna by bike and on day 7 you will move from Colmegna to Varese by bike.
Our bike tours are guaranteed to run once we have one confirmed booking on the tour. If zero guests have booked one of our tours, we reserve the right to cancel it.
Book with confidence with our flexible: Terms & Conditions .
Included services in bike tour:
- 3 nights in double room in Varese - 4 nights in apartment room in Colmegna
- 7 high-calorie continental breakfasts
- 6 packed lunches, strengthened and protein content snack with bananas and sandwiches
- 6 post ride lunches when you go back to the hotel
- 7 dinners
- Double occupancy as standard
- A skilled bike guide
- Luggage transport when you move from one hotel to another
- Any travel by ferry or train along the rides
- The digital map of the routes drawn by us, so you can look at it on smartphone dispaly
- Safe storage with CCTV for your bike at the hotel
- Workstand tool bench for basic maintenance
- Isotonic drinks or water for your ride
- Washing and cleaning area for bikes
- Daily laundry service for your cycle clothing
- Bicycle recovery assistance in case of breakdown
- Free Internet Wi-Fi
- Car parking
Not included:
- Bike hire
- Travel insurance
- Medical and physiotherapy services
- Transfer to and from Airport
- Entrance fees Castles, Villas, Museums
- Any extra-beverage and other extras at dinner
Weeklong Road Bike Tour
Details / Daily Routes
Expect small groups up to 8 riders with a guide leading the way on the road. The reason is to ensure the best riding. In such a way we can garantee you the best quality and attention. If there are more guests, it is better a split-up in two groups during the daily rides.
We generally meet at the bikes at 8.00/8.30 in the morning getting back to the hotel in the afternoon at 14.00/15.00, so you can enjoy a post ride lunch. The rest of the day is relax time. A coffee stop, stops for feeding on the way and for regrouping are suggested during the daily ride.
We all together leave, as a team. Generally each daily route has a main route and and a longer one after a few kms, so you can take a shortcut or tackle the longer way.
However the last part of the daily route is the same. In such a way there are opportunities of meeting and regrouping before going back together to hotel for the post ride lunch in the afternoon.
When you’re riding you’ll always have at least one guide on the road with the group.
The guide leads the way on the road giving you the flexibility to ride at your own pace expecially along the climbs, regrouping at the summits. There is no vehicle support.
You can see the CLIMBING SEGMENTS ON STRAVA in the Italian and Swiss Lake District on Google Maps.
Please note that all routes are subject to change depending on local conditions.
Each day there are two or more ride options available each varying in distance and difficulty.
Day by day we can suggest multiple ride options to accommodate the different needs.
Can't find what are you looking for?
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FAQS
1 ~ Saturday - Arrival
Assembling your own bike or delivery of rental bike and pre-tour briefing.
Accomodation: Hotel Ungheria Varese
2 ~ Sunday
We have selected several rides which start from Varese. You can choose from them.
Some of them:
- Around five lakes (100 km, 950 m) or (102 km, 1,265 m),
- Regional Park Monte Campo dei Fiori (45 km, 540 m) or (61 km, 1,205 m),
- Try the UCI Gran Fondo Tre Valli Varesine (98 km, 1,600 m),
- Lake Como and Valle Intelvi (110 km, 1,300 m),
- Madonna del Ghisallo (120 km, 1,200 m).
Accomodation: Hotel Ungheria Varese
3 ~ Monday
Today we move by bike from Varese to Colmegna on Lake Maggiore through the Swiss region of Malcantone, while your luggage will be transfered to Colmegna
There are four rides to choose from:
- Route 1 - easy (59 km, 600 m),
- Route 2 – via Bedegliora, Astano (71 km, 1,050 m),
- Route 3 – via Aranno, Miglieglia (85 km, 1,350 m),
- Route 4 – via Bioggio, Cademario (91 km, 1,600 m).
Accomodation: Relais Villa Porta in Colmegna
4 ~ Tuesday, 5 ~ Wednesday, 6 ~ Thursday
We have selected several rides which start from Colmegna. You can choose from them.
Some of them:
- Locarno, Ascona and Brissago vistas (81 km, 820 m) or (93 km, 1,128 m),
- Sant'Antonio, San Michele, Monte Sette Termini, Cuvignone (68 km, 1,540 m) or (90 km, 2,350 m),
- Val Veddasca, Alpe Neggia, Passo Forcora (56 km, 1,420 m) or (61 km, 1,665 m),
- Val Verzasca and Jump Bridge in Lavartezzo (115 km, 900 m),
- Loop around Northern Lake Maggiore (92 km, 520 m) or (120 km, 1,732 m),
- Centovalli and Val Canobbina (96 km, 1,105 m).
Accomodation: Relais Villa Porta in Colmegna
7 ~ Friday
Today we say goodbye to Lake Maggiore and head to Varese again by bike via Lake Lugano along undulating roads overlooking the coast of the Italian-Swiss lake, while your luggage will be transfered to Varese.
There are three rides to choose from:
- Route 1 – no climbs (74 km, 400 m),
- Route 2 - via Collina d'Oro, Carona (94 km, 1,100 m),
- Route 3 – via Arogno, Collina d'Oro, Carona (103 km, 1,500 m).
Accomodation: Hotel Ungheria Varese
8 ~ Saturday - Departure
Breakfast and departure.
Photographer: Lakes Northern Italy Bike Tours
Copyright: Lakes Northern Italy Bike Tours
Credit: Lakes Northern Italy Bike Tours
